BYD brings luxury brand Denza to India on November 13

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Denza, the luxury marque of China's BYD, will make its India debut on November 13, and the electric D9 MPV is expected to be among the first models on sale. The expected price is 80 to 90 lakh rupees — a lakh is 100,000 rupees — which places the seven-seater in the country's premium electric MPV segment.

The D9's named rival is the MG M9. MG is owned by China's SAIC; Denza by BYD. Before the segment is anything else, it is a contest between two Chinese car groups — Chinese manufacturers have been taking third markets segment by segment, and in India's premium electric MPV class the entry fight is between two of them. Toyota's Vellfire and Lexus's LM hold the wider luxury MPV field; no European model appears among the named rivals.

The global-spec D9 carries a 103.36 kWh battery. The single-motor front-wheel-drive version produces 313 hp and 360 Nm of torque; the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version develops 373 hp and 470 Nm. Claimed NEDC range is up to 600 km for the front-drive car and 580 km for all-wheel drive. The cabin seats seven, with individual captain's chairs in the second row — electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated and massaging in international versions — alongside a 15.6-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch instrument display, a 12-inch augmented-reality head-up display, three-zone climate control and a panoramic glass roof. Global versions list eight airbags, a 360-degree camera and Level 2 driver assistance.

All of that is the global specification. The India-specific configuration, certified range, equipment list and final price remain unconfirmed, as does the D9's own launch date; only the brand debut on November 13 is fixed.

The rival list as it stands: Denza against MG, BYD against SAIC, Toyota and Lexus around them, and no European name on it.